Anchor particularly suitable for small boats

ABSTRACT

The present invention has for its object an improved anchor, particularly suitable for small boats, having at the same time high capacities of grounding on a sandy or muddy bottom, a shape such as to allow an easy breaking ground and further a shape such as to allow chains or ropes to slide over it without being engaged thereby when said anchor is in mooring position, and finally a shape such as to allow the anchor to easily break ground when it slides on chains or ropes met on the bottom.

United States Patent [191 Giolfo ANCHOR PARTICULARLY SUITABLE FOR SMALLBOATS [76] Inventor: Mario Giolfo, Via Sergio Piombclli 27/3, Genoa,Certosa, Italy [22] Filed: Oct. 15, 1974 [211 Appl. No.: 514,914

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Dec. 27, 1973 Italy 13012/73 [52]US. Cl 114/206 R [51] int. Cl. B63B 21/24 [58] Field of Search 114/206R, 207; 52/155, 52/156 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS902,046 10/1908 Babcock 1 14/206 R l,705,335 3/1929 Owen 114/206 R [4 1Sept. 30, 1975 Brady 114/207 Skoog 114/206 R Primary E.\'uminer--TrygveM. Blix Assismn! ExaminerCharles E. Frankfort Attorney, Agent, orFirm-Robert E. Burns; Emmanuel J. Lobato; Bruce L. Adams [57] ABSTRACTThe present invention has for its object an improved anchor,particularly suitable for small boats, having at the same time highcapacities of grounding on a sandy or muddy bottom, a shape such as toallow an easy breaking ground and further a shape such as to allowchains or ropes to slide over it without being engaged thereby when saidanchor is in mooring position, and finally a shape such as to allow theanchor to easily break ground when it slides on chains or ropes met onthe bottom.

5 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures Sept. 30,1975

US. Patent ANCHOR PARTICULARLY SUITABLE FOR SMALL BOATS BACKGROUND OFTHE INVENTION It is known that an anchor efficiency depends on one sideon its capacity to grasp the bottom and on the other side on its weight.

The efficient weight of the anchor may be increased by the weight of thechain or rope the anchor is connected to. As a matter of fact, it is anold sea practice to give the anchor a chain length up to about seventimes the water depth for ensuring a good anchoring. In this case it isobvious that a good portion of chain rests on the bottom and co-operateswith the anchor in preventing the latter from dragging.

On the other side, a good anchor may break ground easily when the chainis brought to sink and that is a feature which in a certain sense is inopposition to the one requiring the anchor surely grounded when the boatis moored.

With the help of the length of the chain or rope, the anchors nowavailable succeed in solving well enough said task, particularly for thelarge boats in which the chain length may be increased, if necessary.

On the contrary, on the small boats it is necessary for the anchor agreater capacity to ground on the bottom, considering the lowerefficiency of the relatively thin chain and smaller rope. Further, thereis the disadvantage that as the small boats are to be often moored insmall spaces close to many other similar boats, the chains or ropes ofthe anchors easily entangle with one another. And that happens veryeasily in the small har bours.

Therefore, it would be convenient that the anchor shape may be such asnot to engage the chain or rope of another anchor which incidentallyslide over it.

No one of the anchors at present available has such a feature.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION In view of the foregoing, the invention aims atproviding an improved anchor having at the same time high capacities ofgrounding on a sandy or muddy bottom, a shape such as to allow an easybreaking ground, fur ther a shape such as to allow chains or ropes toslide over it without being engaged thereby when said anchor is inmooring position, and finally a shape such as to allow the anchor toeasily break ground when it slides on chains or ropes met on the bottom.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In order that it may be clearlyunderstood, the invention will now be described, by way of example, withreference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a side view of an anchor according to the invention, thisview being partly in section along lines 1-l in FIG. 2, and

FIG. 2 shows a front view of the same anchor.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Said anchor consists substantiallyof two main elements, a straight stem 1 and a tubular element 2 ofcylindrical shape, acting at the same time as a pair of arms and as acrown 2 of the anchor.

Said tubular element, as shown in the drawings, may comprise a metalpipe 2 cut obliquely with respect to its axis by two parallel planes 4and 5. These planes accordingly define with the pipe axis and with thegeneratrix 9 of the tubular or cylindrical element, an oblique angle A,advantageously comprised between 60 and Said stem 1 is fixed on theinner face of said tubular element 2 corresponding to a generatrix andprojects through plane 4. For fastening said stem 1 to said tubularelement, there is provided a seat which comprises for instance a pair ofbent rods 6 welded on the inner face of said element 2, to define atriangular seat for the stem end 1 in body 2. The locking between saidstern and element 2 may be obtained in any known way, e.g., by means ofpins 7. As shown in the drawings, said stem 1 is obtained from aT-shaped section insertable with a sufficient comfort in the spaceobtained between said tubular element 2 and said rods 6. As said stemcould be made in any other cross section, it is obvious that in such acase also the space defined by said rods 6 should be modifiedaccordingly.

On the inner face of said element 2, and on the side opposite to saidrods 6, there is provided a semicylindrical metal plate element 8,arranged inclined for about lO-30 with respect to the generatrix 9,diametrally opposite to the position of said stem 1.

Thus a gap 10 is provided between a part of the annular element 2,opposite to the position of said stem 1, and the semicylindrical element8. The gap is wedgeshaped. Similarly the edges of said elements 2 and 8,facing along the stem 1, are wedge shaped, tapering toward plane 4. Thegap 10 between the plate element 8 and the tubular element 2 is suitablyfilled with a heavy material, e.g., lead, so that when resting on thebottom the anchor tends to position itself with its edge 11 and theupper end 12 of said stem 1 resting on the bottom, shown with the dottedline 13 in the drawings.

Said dotted line 13 is inclined with respect to the apparent horizontalof the sheet only for drawing purposes, while said line is actuallynearly horizontal in operative conditions.

Plate element 8 is welded along its front edge 14 and its side sides 15to the inner face of said tubular element 2.

As for the anchor operation, when the anchor reaches the bottom owing tothe weight of said filling 10 and element 8, it rests naturally with itsedge 11 and upper end 12 against the bottom shown by said dotted line13.

If incidentally the anchor reaches at the beginning the bottom with thewhole length of said stem 1 adjacent to said bottom, the weight ofelements 810 and the circular shape of said element 2 enable the anchorto rotate so as to take the correct position on the bottom.

Under a pulling action exerted on the shackle, that is on the upper end12 of said stem 1, by the anchor chain, the tapered edge 11 of saidtubular element 2 tends to insert itself onto the bottom. If,notwithstanding that, the pulling action on the chain is such as tocause the anchor to drag, the portion of the tubular element 2 insertingitself into the bottom increases, with a corresponding increase in theanchoring effect.

Besides this advantage, the anchor according to the invention offers twoother advantages.

Thanks to the relatively smooth shape of the upper profile of the anchoraccording to the invention when same is grounded onto the bottom, thechain or rope of another anchor may slide on the back of the anchoraccording to the invention without being engaged thereby.

If, during breaking ground, the anchor according to the invention meetsthe rope or chain of another anchor, the obtuse angle B complementary toangle A, and the absence of projections extending forward from thetubular element 2 enable the anchor to avoid any engagement with such arope or chain, whereby said anchor may be easily recovered even whenmany other small boats are moored close by.

What I claim is:

1. An improved anchor particularly suitable for medium and small boats,comprising a straight stem and a substantially tubular anchoring bodywith parallel bases, said bases forming with the axis of said tubularbody an oblique angle, said stem being fastened inside said tubularbody, parallel to a generatrix thereof in such a position that the stemprojects through one of said bases and that the axis of said stemintersects said one base of said tubular body at an angle larger than 2.An improved anchor as claimed in claim 1, including in said tubularbody, in a position diametrically opposed to the stem, ballast meanssecured to said body.

3. An anchor according to claim 2, wherein said ballast means comprisesan approximately semicylindrical metal plate element secured to aninside surface of said tubular body at an acute angle, the vertex ofwhich points in the direction in which the stem projects.

4. An anchor according to claim 3 including a filling of heavy materialbetween said plate element and said surface.

5. An anchor according to claim 1 in which said anchoring body has anedge portion, opposite said stem, which portion tapers in the directionin which the stem projects.

1. An improved anchor particUlarly suitable for medium and small boats,comprising a straight stem and a substantially tubular anchoring bodywith parallel bases, said bases forming with the axis of said tubularbody an oblique angle, said stem being fastened inside said tubularbody, parallel to a generatrix thereof in such a position that the stemprojects through one of said bases and that the axis of said stemintersects said one base of said tubular body at an angle larger than90*.
 2. An improved anchor as claimed in claim 1, including in saidtubular body, in a position diametrically opposed to the stem, ballastmeans secured to said body.
 3. An anchor according to claim 2, whereinsaid ballast means comprises an approximately semi-cylindrical metalplate element secured to an inside surface of said tubular body at anacute angle, the vertex of which points in the direction in which thestem projects.
 4. An anchor according to claim 3 including a filling ofheavy material between said plate element and said surface.
 5. An anchoraccording to claim 1 in which said anchoring body has an edge portion,opposite said stem, which portion tapers in the direction in which thestem projects.